The festival season is in full swing so we’ve put together a list of essential festival camping tips.

Festival camping is very different experience from ordinary leisure camping and with Glastonbury 2009 just gone there will be many first time festival campers having learnt the hard way about camping down wind from the toilets. Save yourself festival stress with our top tips.

1. Choose your pitch wisely
The position of your pitch can affect your whole weekend,  from stumbling back in the darkness to getting (half) decent sleep the perfect pitch can negate many of the most difficult parts of festival camping. Choose a spot near a visible landmark but not too close to the main paths, you don’t want to be trampled on at 5am! Try to pitch near the top of a hill and as a far away from the toilets as possible (this is vital), you don’t want rain or wee running into your sleeping bag.

2. Mark your spot
A tricky thing to get right, you don’t want to appear anti-social so don’t cover your campsite in POLICE – DO NOT CROSS tape (as we have seen) but you don’t want someone pitching in the middle of your campfire spot. The practical (and glampy) solution is a gazebo. A gazebo will act as a handy marker for your campsite, keep the rain off and create a natural area for everyone to congregate. Some festivals frown on them so check before you go.

3. Bring home comforts
Festival camping is often camping stripped back to the fundamentals, something to keep the rain off and something to sleep in. But don’t forget the luxuries! Take a blanket, spread it out on the grass and take some treats out of your cool bag and you could be lazing in your back garden. A real duvet is also much more comfortable than a sleeping bag and if you don’t mind carrying it, an inflatable mattress will be worth it’s weight in gold. Of course you can only carry so much but if you have room take some portable chairs, a lamp, and cooking stove and you’ll have a veritable 5* campsite.

4. Make some friends
Get to know your neighbours and they’ll watch out for your stuff, share dodgy cider with you and generally give you a warm feeling.

5. Don’t lock your tent
Don’t put a padlock on your tent, tents are impossible to secure and you’ll only tempt thieves, most big festivals have property lockups so use those instead. Remember to make friends with your neighbours and they’ll act as slightly smelly Neighbourhood Watch.

6. Bring a bigger tent than you need
Whilst a two man is easy to carry it can quickly become crampt and like a little oven in the morning if it’s a hot festival or full of wet clothing if it’s not. Go for one man bigger than you need and you’ll luxuriate in the extra space.

7. Try something different
Festivals are a great time to try out that new tent you’ve had your eye on, get a teepee for acres of space or hire a yurt for the full glamping experience. Remember if your using a tent for the first time pitch it at home first!

8. Bring some gaffer tape
It’s amazing how useful this stuff can be at festivals. The worst thing in the world is a leaking tent and a quick gaffering will keep those raindrops off your head. If you don’t need it someone else inevitably will and they’ll probably trade it for some cider.

9. Mind the guy ropes
A small one but to save a drunken festivaller falling and collapsing your tent  keep the guy ropes as short as possible, they are truly the number one festival hazard.

10. Ignore all of the above
Sometimes it’s just more fun for it to all go wrong and end up sleeping with the Hare Krishnas.

Festival reading